Eid al-Fitr Countdown

How many days until Eid al-Fitr?

The Eid al-Fitr countdown above ticks every second to 1 Shawwal — the morning after Ramadan ends. The countdown is calculated using the tabular Islamic calendar; local moon-sighting authorities may declare Eid a day earlier or later.

What is Eid al-Fitr?

Eid al-Fitr — Arabic for "the festival of breaking fast" — falls on 1 Shawwal, the day immediately after the month of Ramadan ends. It's one of two major festivals in Islam (the other being Eid al-Adha during Hajj season) and is celebrated joyfully across the Muslim world.

Eid al-Fitr is observed for one to three days, depending on country. It celebrates the successful completion of Ramadan — a month of fasting, increased prayer, charity, and spiritual reflection.

Expected Eid al-Fitr dates through 1451 AH

How is Eid al-Fitr celebrated?

The morning begins with the Eid prayer (Salat al-Eid) — performed in congregation in mosques, parks, or open prayer grounds (musalla) shortly after sunrise. The prayer is followed by a sermon (khutbah).

Before the prayer, every adult Muslim with means is required to give Zakat al-Fitr — a small charity meant to feed the poor on Eid day so they can also celebrate. The amount is roughly the cost of a meal per family member, typically given in food or cash equivalent.

The day of Eid — typical sequence

1. Pre-dawn — light breakfast (signaling the end of fasting), bath, new clothes
2. Sunrise — Eid prayer in congregation
3. Morning — visiting parents, grandparents, elders
4. Midday — large family lunch, distribution of Eidi (gifts of money to children)
5. Afternoon — visiting friends, extended family, neighbours
6. Evening — community festivals, fairs, parks

Eid al-Fitr foods around the world

Every Muslim culture has its own Eid sweet specialty. The morning meal traditionally features something sweet to mark the end of Ramadan fasting:

• South Asia — sheer khurma (vermicelli pudding with milk, dates, and dried fruits), seviyan, biryani
• Egypt and Levant — kahk (powdered-sugar shortbread cookies), maamoul (date-filled semolina cookies)
• Turkey — baklava, lokum (Turkish delight), şekerli dishes — Eid is even called Şeker Bayramı ("the sugar festival")
• Indonesia and Malaysia — ketupat (rice cakes), rendang, lemang
• Morocco — chebakia, sellou, dates, mint tea
• Nigeria and West Africa — jollof rice, fried meat, kola nuts
• Iran — shirini sweet pastries, traditional family meals

Eid greetings in different languages

The most common greeting is the universal Arabic phrase, but each region has its own variations:

• Arabic — Eid Mubarak ("Blessed festival") or Eid Saeed ("Happy festival")
• Turkish — Bayramınız kutlu olsun ("May your festival be blessed") or Bayramınız mübarek olsun
• Urdu/Hindi — Eid Mubarak ho or Eid ki dher saari mubarak
• Indonesian/Malay — Selamat Hari Raya or Maaf Zahir dan Batin (asking forgiveness for any wrongdoings)
• Persian — Eid-e Shoma Mobarak
• Bosnian — Bajram Šerif Mubarek Olsun
• Hausa (West Africa) — Barka da Sallah

Eid al-Fitr public holidays

Eid al-Fitr is a public holiday in essentially every Muslim-majority country, typically lasting 1–3 official days. Some examples:

• Saudi Arabia, UAE — typically 3–4 days off work (sometimes up to 9 days when combined with weekends)
• Pakistan, Bangladesh — 3 days, with the day before Eid often a half-day
• Indonesia — Lebaran brings 5+ days off, with the largest annual human migration in the country (mudik)
• Turkey — 3.5 day public holiday (sometimes extended)
• Egypt, Jordan, Lebanon — 2–3 days
• Malaysia — 2 days, plus customary open house visiting throughout the month
• UK, US, France, Germany — not federal holidays, but many Muslim-majority schools and businesses close

Difference between Eid al-Fitr and Eid al-Adha

Islam has two major Eids — and they're often confused by non-Muslims: